Osa Peninsula

Well we are getting ready to leave San Jose once again but before we do that I suppose I should write about our recent travels. Due to some messed up plans from the storm last week we traveled to the Osa Peninsula on Sunday and stayed until Wednesday instead of it being a weekend trip. On the first day we had a rather interesting and very long bus ride just to get to our location. We spent over 8 hours driving on horrible roads and even came to find that the bridge we needed to cross did not exist. So our giant tour bus had to maneuver across a very small and steep metal bridge by a bar full of very drunken Ticos. We all got off the bus and the boys had to help push which was kind of fun to watch. After the bus ride we then had to take a boat to get to where we were staying. The location was not a hotel but more like a sort of campground. We each stayed in large tents that were up on platforms with another giant tent over them. They were actually quite nice. We had real beds and pretty decent bathrooms and showers. The main lodge was really nice with a TV, tables, couches, a bar, and amazing views. They even feed us real three-course meals which were pretty impressive even though I didn't really like most of it.

On Monday we were awoken by the bright sun and chirping birds very early. Nature is fabulous. Later we got on more boats to ride to a park where we went on some very long hikes through a national park, had lunch, and got to swim at some small waterfalls. The guide I had was awesome and he showed us some really cool trees and creatures. We even saw the foot prints of the biggest mammal on the island and a jaguar too. And we had fresh coconut right off the tree which I loved because coconut is pretty much my fav. It was the best coconut I have ever had. If I could import fresh coconut to my house everyday, I totally would. After our nature hikes (which were definitely the best of the trip), we had the rest of the night off to play games and cards which was actually a lot of fun. I realized that I never actually play games like that unless I am on some kind of trip. That night while we were trying to sleep there was a crazy thunderstorm and with the lack of walls the thunder was crazy loud.

Tree Climbing

Awesome Coconut

On Tuesday we took a boat ride to Cano Island. All this boating really makes me wish I had a boat and could spend my summer lounging on some lake. The water at Cano Island was amazing. It was warm and perfectly clear to the point that I could actually see my feet on the ocean floor. There we went snorkeling and saw some really cool fish, plus is was just awesome to see the ocean from that view. I had never been snorkeling before so this was really cool for me. It took me a few times to figure out how to dive down without hurting my ears, but after awhile I got the hang of it and had a ton of fun. It was still raining early that morning and there was no sun the entire time we were at the Island, but I somehow still managed to burn my shoulders even though I was wearing sunscreen. Then just as we got on the boats to leave the sun came out. Of course. O well, I still had a great time. We even saw dolphins on the boat ride back. And that night we played more cards and had a fiesta at the lodge.

Playing KEMPS

The Boys Playing Some Intense Hearts

On wednesday we packed up and rode the boats back to Seirpe to catch our bus for another 8 hour bus ride back to San Jose. So now we have a little bit of free time which is good because I haven't seen a computer in a few days and I need to do some serious blogging. In a few hours we will board the bus once again to embark on a new adventure. This time we are heading to the Caribbean coast which I am really excited about. We haven´t actually had a lot of time to just chill on the beach yet, so this will be a fabulous weekend.